Attachment for musical instruments



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L. UTT. A ATTACHMENT POR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

-Noi 530,369. Patexnted 1360.4, 1894.

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' L. UTT. l ATTACHMENT FOR-MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

v'Patented Dec. 4, 1894.

INVENTOH A TTOHNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LINCOLN U'IT, OF LEXINGTON, MISSOURI.

ATTACHMENT FOR. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters vPatent No. 530,369, dated December 4, 1894.

Application led July 9,1894. Serial No. 516.964. (No model.)

To all whom t may con/cern.-l

Be it known that I, LINCOLN UTT, of Lexington, in the county of Lafayette and State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Attachment for Musical Instruments, ot' which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to improvements in harps, zithers, and similar musical instruments, and its object is to provide a new and improved attachment for musical instruments, which is comparatively simple and durable in construction, and arranged to permit a player to play in any desired key, and t0 execute any one of the chords to produce all tones and modulations called for by the music.

The invention consists in certain parts and details, and combinations of the same, as will be hereinafter fully described and -then pointed out in the claims.

Reference'is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the attachment as applied. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same, on the line 3-3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the improvement. n Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of the same. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same, with part of the frame in section. Fig. 7 is a similar view of the same, with parts in a dierent position; and Fig. 8 is an enlarged transverse section of the same, on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

The improved musical instrument, such as a harp, Zither and the like, is provided with the usual body A, carrying the strings B, over which extends in a transverse direction, a chromatic scale bar O, provided onits top with characters indicating the various notes of the strings, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Alongside this chromatic scale bar is fitted to slide in guide blocks D, a frame E provided on the side next to the chromatic scale bar with a marker or pointer E', adapted to indicate on a note displayed en the chromatic scale bar, so that the operator can move the frame E transversely across and over the strings until the pointer E' indicates on the desired note in which the music is written.

The frame E is provided in its heads or ends E2, with suitable guideways for the ends of the bars F, F', F2, F2, fitted to slide vertically, and held in an uppermost position above the strings B, by springs G set in the heads E2, as plainly shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The first bar F is the tonic and minor bar, the second one the sub-dominant and minor, the third the dominant and minor ninth, and the fourth bar the dominant and major ninth, the said bars being marked on their top edges, as described, and illustrated in Fig. 4. Each of the bars F, F', F2, F3, is provided on its under side with blocks H, 0f felt or other suitable material, and adapted to engage corresponding strings Whenever the respective bar is pressed downward by the operator. Between some of the blocks H on each bar are arranged movable blocks H', adapted to slide from one fixed block to the next adjacent fixed block, as indicated in Figs'. 6 and 7, so as to render different strings mute.

The movable blocks H for each barF, F', F2 or F2, are secured on a slide bar I, fitted on the corresponding bar F, F', F2 or F3, and held in place by transversely-extending arms F4, `fixed in the bar F, F', F2 or F2, and engaging longitudinally-extending notches I' in the said sliding bars I. Each slidable bar I, is provided at or near its middle with an inclined arm l2, engaged by the eye of a proj ection I3 formed on the free end of a spring I4 attached to the top of the corresponding bar F, F', F2 or F2, so that the operator can press the said spring I4, to shift the slidable bar I,fon its bar F, F', F2 or F3, and move its blocks H' simultaneously into the position shown in Fig. 7. As soon as the operator releases the pressure on the spring I4, the latter returns to its normal position, and by its projection I3 acting on the inclined arm I2, causes the slidable bar I to slide back to its normalposition shown in Fig. 6. The spaces between the blocks H, H', when the slidable bars I, are in a normal position as shown in Fig. 6, are marked by numerals, thus indicating to the player which strings are not rendered mute at the time of having pressed a corresponding bar F, F', F2 or F2,which will enable the player to pick, or play any certain bass note, or notes of chord produced by said bars.

IOO

In order to play the instrument, the operator takes hold of the frame E with one hand, and slides the latter transversely across the strings to the desired note indicated on the chromatic scale bar C, as previously described, and then presses with the fingers of the same hand that held the frame, the respective bar F, F', F2 or F3, according to the music to be played; or he presses the corresponding springs I4 which shift the slidable bar I, as before mentioned, and then further presses on the springs to cause the corresponding bar to move downward and render the desired strings mute. When this is done, the operator with the other hand picks the strings either singly or in numbers, that is, only those that have not been rendered mute by the pressure ofthe bar, and in case he strikes such strings that have been rendered mute, no harm is done.

It will be seen that a player in a very short time can readily manipulate the trame E and the several bars F, F', F2, F2, together with the springs I4, so as to be enabled to play readily in any desired key and any desired modulation called for by the music, Without danger of sounding Wrong strings, thereby producing discord.

It is understood that the slidable bars I, have their mute blocks II arranged in such a manner that when the spring I4 is pressed, then the major chord is changed to a minor chord in playing the instrument. For instance, when the tonic bar F is pressed, the C major chord can be played, and when in addition, the spring I4 is pressed to change the mute blocks H on the bar I, then the C minor chord can be played by the operator picking the strings. It is further understood that as the strings are tuned chromatically, the chord played will be a major chord no matter to what key the frame E has been shifted and which bar F or F2 is played.

By the arrangement described every chord will be perfect and full, and with no notes whatever omitted, and besides, all the chords produced run and follow in the regular order in which they should appear as in scientifically arranged and harmonized music with inversions, 65e'.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the instrument is provided with about forty-nine strings, forming four chromatic octaves in succession.

Having thus described Amy invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In an attachment for musical instru` ments, the combination with a frame, and vertically sliding and spring pressed bars in the frame provided with spaced blocks, of horizontally yielding bars having longitudinally extending notches, and provided with blocks between the blocks of the vertically sliding bars, and cross bars secured to the vertically sliding bars and engaging the notches of the said horizontally sliding bars, substantially as described.

2. In an attachment for musical instruments, the combination with a frame, vertically sliding bars in the frame, and bars fitted to slide horizontally on the vertically sliding bars and provided with dampening blocks, of inclined arms on the horizontally sliding bars and springs having one end secured to the vertically sliding bars and provided at their other ends with projections having eyes engaging the inclined arms, substantially as described.

3. An attachment for musical instruments, consisting of the frame E, the vertically sliding and spring press bars F, F F2 Fsprovided with spaced blocks H of felt or the like on their under sides, the bars I litted to slide on the bars F F F2 F8 and provided with the blocks H of felt or the like, said blocks II being between the blocks H, the inclined arms I2 on the bars I, and the springs I4 secured to the bars F F F2 F3 and provided with the projections I3 having eyes to receive the inclined arms, substantially as herein shown and described.

LINCOLN UTT.

Witnesses:

WM. H. CHILEs, J oHN E. BURDEN. 

